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Early Childhood Care and Development in the Syria and Iraq Humanitarian Responses – Mapping & Analysis

Early Childhood Care and Development in the Syria and Iraq Humanitarian Responses – Mapping & Analysis

Early childhood (0-8 years) is the most important period in human life for physical, cognitive, emotional and social development, setting a strong foundation for a child’s future trajectory. During this period, critical brain development occurs rapidly and depends on adequate protection, stimulation and nurturing care. Separation from parents or caregivers, witnessing violence, and everyday stressors in the child’s environment can disrupt bonding and undermine healthy long-term social and emotional development. Evidence suggests that early childhood services, including those that support and guide parents, caregivers, and families in times of crisis, can mitigate the negative effects on young children and promote crucial resilience and development.

This mapping and analysis report, titled "Early Childhood Care and Development in the Syria and Iraq Humanitarian Responses," gathers information from No Lost Generation (NLG) partners on common challenges, best practices, main gaps, recommendations and any other information that can help inform collaborative work going forward.

The report outlines key improvements to the mapping process, and makes recommendations on setting up an Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) coordination mechanism. While the current report serves as a useful starting point, organizations must add information about their ongoing activities and provide comprehensive and continuous data on costs and number of beneficiaries reached. Additionally, the activities of national organizations must be captured in future revisions to the mapping and analysis report. Finally, the report highlights recommendations and action points – rooted in bilateral interviews with NLG partners – for the creation of an ECCD coordination mechanism in the response to the Syria and Iraq crises.

The full report can be downloaded from No Lost Generation's document repository site HERE.